Leggings have become a veritable fashion staple. They can add an element of style and comfort to your look, but will also help you get the most out of your workouts by keeping you cool and dry during intense exercise.
Whether you wear them to the gym, under dresses, or on your own with a crop top, a pair of high-quality leggings is a necessary part of any modern woman’s wardrobe.
One of the frequently asked questions from legging lovers is, Why Do My Leggings Bunch at the Knees?
There are various reasons why your leggings bunch at the knees, it could be because they are not your size. This article will address why leggings bunch at the knees and provide some helpful solutions for when it does happen.
Reasons Why Your Leggings Bunch at the Knees
There are many reasons why your leggings bunch up at the knees. Here are some of the most common:
1. They are made with stretchy fabrics
Leggings are made with stretchy fabric that can be worn close to the body. As a result, they tend to fit differently than other types of pants or joggers.
2. Leggings materials stretch differently
Different materials stretch differently and have varying degrees of thickness or sheen, even if they come from the same brand or collection.
You may notice that one pair is more likely to bunch up in your knees than another pair because it stretches less easily when pulled tightly onto your legs.
A perfect example of this would be leggings made from cotton versus spandex (or vice versa). Cotton tends not to stretch as much, whereas spandex does stretch more readily and is, therefore, less likely to bunch up in the knees when worn tightly against them.
3. If they are not your size
Leggings are meant to be a tight fit and should feel like a second skin on your legs; thus, if they’re too big for you then they will bunch up in strange places like around your ankles or crotch area instead.
This can happen if someone buys something off-the-rack without trying it on first (eek!).
4. The fabric of the leggings is too thin
If the leggings are thin and you wear them often, they will eventually lose their shape at the knees. Why? Because of the constant pressure placed on your knees when you walk, move around, or bend down in your leggings.
The fabric will stretch out and be unable to keep its shape. This thinning may be caused by a couple of factors: not enough elasticity in the fabric, or not enough give.
Fabric loses elasticity over time due to wear and tear; meanwhile, some fabrics are simply not elastic enough, to begin with.
5. The leggings are too small
The first, and most obvious, reason for leggings that bunch at the knees is that you’ve bought a size too small. Leggings are meant to be tight, but if they’re uncomfortably so, you’ll have a hard time moving properly in them.
That can cause your leggings to bunch up around your lower legs as you walk.
In addition to being uncomfortable, leggings that are too small will also help to make your trouble areas stand out more. You may remember from childhood when skirts or dresses that were too tight would cause “muffin top” (or “spillover”) effects on the waistband.
Well, the same thing goes for leggings, if they’re too small around the waist or hips, not only will you be uncomfortable but they won’t look good either. Your best bet is to go with a larger size of leggings that still has a tight fit but also allows for plenty of mobility and comfort.
6. The leggings are too big
If your leggings are too big, they won’t fit snugly against your skin. Not only will they slip down and ride low, but the excess fabric will inevitably bunch up around your joints, creating the problem you’re experiencing.
If you can spare a few moments to try to find the legging size that fits you best, it would go a long way in helping you feel more comfortable.
When a legging is just right for your body type, it’s comfortably snug without being tight or restrictive. It doesn’t bunch around your knees, but instead stretches smoothly over them and keeps its shape through every kind of movement you put it through.
7. The leggings have a bad design
If your leggings have a bad design, you can be sure they’re of poor quality. When you move your body, the fabric will stretch out of shape more easily.
It’s possible that the leggings are just poorly made. Cheap products use low-quality materials that will overstretch when you move your body or bend down to touch your toes. If this is the case, it’s worth spending a bit extra on better leggings in the future.
8. Poor quality leggings
Some leggings are made with poor-quality fabric that can stretch out, shrink or change shape after just a few wears. Some materials may be cheaper and more comfortable on the skin at first but will eventually pill, tear or fade after multiple washes.
If the legging is made from a blend of cotton or spandex and polyester then it is not as durable as one that is made from 100 percent spandex or Lycra.
When buying leggings it’s always best to buy ones that are 100% Spandex, Polyester, or Lycra since they have great stretch and comfort.
The higher quality material will not only last longer but you won’t have to deal with all those annoying creases and bunching around your knees when you wear them.
READ ALSO: Why Are Leggings So Uncomfortable?
How Do I Stop My Leggings From Bunching Up?
There are a few things you can do to try and stop your leggings from bunching up.
1. Wash them inside out
This will help protect the spandex material from any extra friction that would wear it down.
2. Dry them at a low temperature
The heat of the dryer will just cause the fabric to start to break down faster.
3. Stop putting them in the dryer
If you store your leggings for long periods of time without washing them, they’ll likely go bad before you get around to wearing them again. Putting them in the dryer won’t cleanse away bacteria, but it might help reduce some wrinkles and make them look more presentable.
4. Stop using fabric softener
Fabric softener breaks down synthetic fabrics like spandex and polyester, which is why your leggings have been shrinking in the knees so much lately.
5. Buy a different brand of leggings
One way to avoid this problem altogether is by switching brands (or styles) of leggings. If they don’t fit snugly at all times, then they’re probably not going to bunch up as much when you sit down or bend over.
This applies only if you really love those particular pants; if not then either buy another pair or try it with something else that’s similar enough but not too tight.
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Why Are My Leggings Baggy in the Knees?
Leggings that bunch at the knees may be too big, too small, or a mix of both. It’s normal for our bodies to change sizes over time, and sometimes as a result of those changes, our pants can become loose in some places but still tight in others and that includes leggings.
If your leggings are a little snugger on one leg than the other, either due to an injury or just the natural shape of your body, then there will be extra room for the material to move around on that part of the leg.
This is why it’s important to choose leggings with a thick enough fabric that they don’t stretch out too much as you move around especially if you’re doing something athletic like yoga or lifting weights.
If your leggings are already loose on one side because they’re too big overall (or even if they’re just slightly baggy), then they’ll start bunching up when you bend down and squat.
READ ALSO: Why Are Leggings So Comfortable?
Conclusion
Why do my leggings bunch at the knees? There could be several reasons why this happens. And when these happen, there are several things you can do to stop these from happening.
However, If you’ve determined that your leggings are bunching at the knees because they’re the wrong size, style, or brand for you, here are some recommendations:
Try another pair of leggings. Leggings have come a long way since the ’80s. While spandex is still a go-to material for sweatpants and activewear in general, there are also endless options out there when it comes to styles, cuts, and fabrics including fleece-lined winter leggings and moisture-wicking workout pants.
You might try a pair of these made from nylon/spandex blends that promise extra stretch.
Change up your exercise routine. Over time, as we do exercises that engage certain muscle groups more than others (like cycling or running), our bodies will naturally shift towards being more quad-focused than glute-focused.
And that can lead us to downsize our bottoms to make room for those larger muscles which then leads them to bunch at the knees.
So if you find yourself doing this often enough that it’s becoming annoying or even painful, consider adding some lower body strengthening exercises into your routine (like squats) in order to balance out your leg development again the result may be better fitting pants all around.
